Saudi Arabian Airlines budget unit to fly leased Airbus A320s

Saudi Arabian Airlines' budget carrier Flyadeal will lease 6 Airbus A320s, an Airbus executive said Monday, a sign that the planemaker might again have pipped Boeing in the race to win a big Middle East deal. Flyadeal, which is set to start services in mid-2017, is aiming to operate a fleet of up to 50 narrow body jets by 2020 and Saleh al-Jasser, DG of Saudi Arabian Airlines, said last year Flyadeal would operate leased Airbus or Boeing jets. Airbus's Middle East MD Fouad Attar said Flyadeal would operate 6 of his planes. The current model A320s are being leased through an undisclosed leaser and delivery starts in the second half of the year, a spokesman said, adding that no further deals had been done with Flyadeal beyond the 6 aircraft. <br/>